The present invention relates to replaceable head toothbrushes and method of use thereof, and more particularly, to replaceable head toothbrushes wherein the replaceable head section is joined to a handle section by a flanged elastomeric coupler at the end of the head which is interference fit within a corresponding annular collar at the end of the handle section; which elastomeric coupler, depending upon the durometer of the elastomer chosen, provides more or less attenuation of the brushing force applied to the handle by the user.
Replacement head toothbrushes, such as those disclosed in U.S. pat. Nos. 632,524, 1,131,863, and 5,224,234, are known in the art to provide cost effective means of replacing worn bristles. Such toothbrushes further facilitate the frequent, recommended replacement of brushes in situations such as after surgery or while the user is undergoing chemotherapy, to avoid accumulation of germs and bacteria. However, the bayonet type head replacement mechanisms disclosed is these patents, which rigidly lock the replacement head to the handle, does not address the problem that excessive brushing pressure may cause harm to the soft oral tissues within the mouth, especially the gingiva.
U.S. pat. No. 5,903,949 and PCT published patent applications WO 98/37788, 99/16332 and 99/39610 disclose toothbrushes having a flexible linkage between the head and the handle to help protect the soft oral tissues from excessive brushing pressure. The flexible linkage in U.S. Pat. No. 5,903,949, WO 98/37788 and WO 99/39610 involves thinning of the relatively rigid material of construction of the toothbrush, the thinned portion being filled in with a resiliently flexible material. Alternatively, the flexible linkage as in WO 99/16332 involves a mechanical hinge connecting the head and handle, the hinge contains a torsion element which restricts the relative rotation of the head and handle and which tends to return the toothbrush to its original configuration. The use within these particular toothbrushes of a particular resiliently flexible material with a fixed durometer, or alternatively a particular torsion element with a fixed spring coefficient, limits the design to either an average brushing force or to an assumed, i.e. arbitrary, level of excessive brushing force.
Thus there is a clear need for a toothbrush having a replaceable head, that also provides a means to attenuate the particular users brushing pressure to avoid harm to the soft oral tissues of the mouth.
The present invention encompasses a toothbrush and method of use thereof, wherein the toothbrush has a head section and a handle section, the head section having a first end with bristles extending from a surface thereof, and a second end with an elastomeric coupler extending at an obtuse angle therefrom; the elastomeric coupler having a tapered body with flanges extending on its upper and lower surfaces; the elastomeric coupler being configured to removably interference fit within an annular collar located at the end of the handle section; the annular collar being configured such that the flanges extending over the top and bottom thereof to hold the elastomeric coupler in place; wherein, during brushing the elastomeric coupler will absorb at least part of the force applied by the user to the handle section, so as to attenuate the brushing force against the soft oral tissues of the mouth.
The method of use of toothbrushes of the present invention to control brushing pressure by the user, involves providing to the user a plurality of alternative head sections, each head section with an elastomeric coupler having a distinctly different Shore A hardness or durometer in the range of about 0 to about 80. The user then selects the alternative head section, having an elastomeric coupler of the desired hardness to properly attenuate that users particular brushing force.